Rest for caskets.



No. 655,362. Pat'ented Aug. 7, I900.

I T. W. COUGHLIN.

BEST FOR GASKETS. (Application filed Dec. 18, 1899.) (No Modal.)

ATTORNEY s A UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS IV. COUGHLIN, OF BINGIIAHTON, NEW YORK.

REST FOR GASKETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,362, dated August '7, 1900.

Application filed December 18, 1899. Serial No. 740,809- (No model.)

T0 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. COUGHLIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rests for Caskets, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a rest for caskets which can be used with any casket, being made entirely separate therefrom. v

In the drawings forminga part of this specification,Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a bottom View. Fig. 4 is a detail showing the construction of the supportingleg. Fig. 5 is a detail showinga modified form.

This rest, as shown in the first four figures of the drawings, is made in two parts A and B, hinged together, as indicated at C. These parts may be made of wood or any suitable material, such as wire. The lower part B is preferably made with a bevel, as shown, and may be secured to the bottom of the casket in any way, as by light screws, tacks, &c., or by sharpened points G, attached to the part B, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the object of this being to prevent endwise movement of the rest when placed in the casket. The upper or head part A is somewhat longer than the part B and is intended to support the upper part of the body and the head. Pivotally attached to this part are legs E.v These, as shown, are made of a single piece of wire. The vertical part E forms the leg and passes out through the slots D at the edges of the piece, being then bent over and doubled upon itself to form the stops F, then passed down through the slots and across the bottom of the upper piece, forming the hinge portion I, which is retained in place by staples J or other suitable devices, which form the other part of the hinge. This construction is clearly shown in the various views of the drawings. The stops F also serve as handles to raise the frame and body. The legs E are preferably sharpened at the point, so as to readily engage with the bottom of the coffin to hold the upper partA at varying angles. For convenience and compactness I provide the under side of piece A with grooves, such as H, in which the legs fit when the device is laid flat. The horizontal part I is also embedded in a groove, as clearly shownin Fig. 3, the stops F projecting up through the slots D. In use this rest is placed flat on the bottom of the casket. When the body is placed in the casket and it is desired to adjust or raise the upper part of the body and head, it is only necessary to lift the part B by the handles or stops. When the desired degree of adjustment is reached, the weight of the body is sufficient to cause the sharpened points to engage with the bottom of the casket, thus supporting it in any desired position, endwise movement being prevented by the fastening devices on the piece B, which are forced into the bottom of the casket. In extreme elevation the legs are either vertical or somewhat past the vertical, and as the stops F then bear upon the upper surface of the piece A the body will be held in that adjustment irrespective of the engagement of the sharpened points, so that unless varying degrees of adjustment are necessary the points of the legs need not be sharpened.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified construc= tion which is used when a longer rest or a greater variation in adjustment is desirable. This consists in making the part marked A in Fig. 1 in two parts A A hinged together at 0, each part being provided with legs E of precisely the same construction as heretofore described. The operation of this form of device is precisely the same as that of the other, and the only difierence is that it allows a somewhat greater latitude in the matter of adjustment.

It will be seen that I have thus provided a very simple and inexpensive rest for caskets, which can be attached to any casket irrespective of size or shape and one which is very easily manipulated and which may be used to retain the body in any desired adjustment. It is exceedingly easy of manipulation and no special skill is required to operate it.

It will be obvious that many changes may be made in the form or construction of this device without departing from my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

l. A rest for caskets consisting of two or' more parts hinged together, the upper or head lower part being provided with means to prevent endwise movement, substantially as described.

3. A rest forcaskets consisting of two or more parts hinged together, the upper or head part or parts having pivoted legs adapted to I 5 engage the bottom of the casket to support the body at varying angles of inclination, said legs having handles at their upper ends, substantially as described.

Signed at Binghamton, in the county of 20 Broome and State of New York, this 12th day of December, 1899.

, THOMAS W. COUGHLIN. Witnesses:

WM. H. DoNLEY, EDWARD T. LYNCH. 

